Outlaw
by Toltec Spirit
Summary: The world is very much smaller than it seems, a lesson Tyler Gunderson learns when someone incredibly special comes into his life. Someone he never knew existed.


**A/N: This was also going to be a short one shot to cap off A Collection of Short Stories, but just like The Warrior From Cydonia, the plot was too extensive. This is even longer than all the one-shots in ACOSS combined, so, yeah, it'll be a standalone fic.**

**There's a little surprise for you somewhere down there, so brace yourself!**

**If you read it, please review it. I hope you all enjoy!**

**This story came to be after I listened to the Drum N Bass song "Outlaw" by BCee and Lomax. Check it out, it fits this fic perfectly.**

******I'm shutting up now.**

* * *

In the iconic, medium-sized town of Feather Creek, Texas, birds were the dominant species. Most of them were the kind one would find in the plains of the desiccated state, such as owls, hawks, eagles, and vultures. Others, however, were more outlandish and vibrant. There were peacocks, macaws, doves, blue jays, hummingbirds, and swifts.

Other than the colorful winged populace, not much was different about the dusty collection of wooden buildings out in the middle of nowhere. It had houses for its residents, a slew of shops and trading posts, saloons were whiskey was served and dancers flapped around on the stage, and two railroad stations to keep it supplied with all of life's necessities.

Last, but never least, was the County Sheriff's quarters, where the peacekeeping forces worked. The bird responsible for maintaining order in Feather Creek and the plains all around was a certain navy blue macaw by the name of Tyler William Gunderson.

He had a few nicknames, such as "Ty," "Sheriff," or "Major." The first two had obvious origins, but the third he gained for his famous role as the leader of the forces fighting the Native Americans.

In the wake of the Fort Stockton Shootout of 1843, the hostile Native American animal camp to the north was put down two weeks after they launched an attack. The Indians who weren't killed were taken prisoner and either shipped off on trains, or put to work there or in nearby Feather Creek.

All the goods they had stolen were recovered and redistributed, and all the cowboys involved gained statewide recognition. The most famous of all was the seasoned Major Gunderson, who was said to have downed twenty Indians in one day with his .357 Smith and Wesson revolver.

The skilled marksman and leader of the Feather Creek group of soldiers was offered the position of County Sheriff, and he took the job without hesitation. The townspeople cheered as the macaw walked down the main street, tipping his hat to the guys and winking at the ladies.

The former Sheriff, Thomas O'Connor, stepped down, and the ever-so-kind Tyler made the Red-Shouldered Hawk his Warden. Thomas gave Tyler his leather vest – complete with a shining, five-pointed gold star – as a sign of the change in power.

From that day on, the new Sheriff sought to live up to his reputation as a strict, caring, and wise bird. The entire county was in safe wings so long as Tyler and Thomas were in charge, and life was good for them and the whole of Feather Creek for many years.

Then, in late 1844, rumors of a female outlaw started creeping across the state. Her name was Jessie Rockwell, but her propensity for causing chaos in every town she visited earned her the title "Calamity Jewel." She was wanted for siding with any Indians she came across and raiding any well-populated municipality.

She supposedly never failed to leave without a few train cars full of goods of all kinds.

Not only that, she had ample amounts of blood on her wings for physically assaulting every sheriff she met and tying him up. There were whispers that she was searching for someone, but those had not been verified. There was a massive bounty on her head, promising several years' worth of riches for whoever captured her and brought her to justice.

The Sheriff of Feather Creek was growing very curious about Jessie, but he decided to bide his time until she got closer to his area of jurisdiction before cooking up plans to deal with her. He had plenty of friends in the neighboring Fort Stockton, and he knew they would help him at a moment's notice.

By early 1845, she was reported to be somewhere in north-central Texas, moving south as she continued her crime spree. She was a sneaky macaw and was hard to track, but Tyler believed the reports were trustworthy enough.

In February of that same year, the official wanted poster and crime documents regarding Calamity Jewel arrived at the Sheriff's office, and he tacked them on his wall after studying them for a day. Her cute, trimmed face greeted him every time he walked into his office, but it was still the face of a genuine threat. Due to her secretive travels, he knew little else about her other than her numerous violations of the law and constant disturbance of the peace.

In April of 1845, the tensions in the western part of Texas were elevated, and all the sheriffs in that area began to feel worried. The reason for them being on edge was that the powerful commerce hotspot of San Angelo was in the early stages of being assaulted by Jessie and her band of Indian rogues.

Should San Angelo fall, all the towns in the western sector would have fewer supplies available, and would be made vulnerable to attack by Calamity Jewel, should she choose to invade. It would not be long until she trumped every parish west of the Pecos River, and the thought of that domino effect instilled a stinging fear in every sheriff involved.

Tyler was clearly nervous as he sat in his quarters. He spent every day thinking how he was going to help his allies shut her down and minimize casualties. Then, one windless, scorching day in May, the news no one wanted to hear came in.

That was when life got serious for the big boss of Feather Creek.

The Sheriff was reading the local newspaper in his office, his tail drooped over his desk and his legs crossed, when a Burrowing Owl busted in. The golden bell that alerted the navy macaw when someone entered jangled madly. Tyler tipped backwards in his chair and hit the ground with a pronounced thud. He got back to his feet and dusted himself off, glaring at the bird standing in front of the counter.

"Good lawd, Charles! What's the big deal, comin' up in here all crazy-like an' scarin' me?"

"My apologies, Shuriff. It's jus' that I got a bad message from San Angelo."

"Spit it out, then!"

"Calamity Jewel's taken over, an' she done roughed up the Shuriff! Doom's a comin' unless we don' do somethin', Major!"

"Alright, calm down, calm down. Don't get yer britches in a bunch. Now, where's that Thomas feller? I need to have a few good words with that hawk."

"I can go git 'im fer ya, Shuriff."

"That'll be mighty good of ya, Charles."

"I'll be back in ten winks, Major!"

The Burrowing Owl turned and yanked the door open before dashing out, his boots thumping against the mesquite floor.

"We ain't gon last much longer unless Calamity Jewel git a wingful of Texas justice," the Sheriff said aloud.

He straightened his belt, picked up the paper and his chair, and set the paper in the seat after folding it. Two minutes later, the front door creaked open, letting in a small cloud of dust. Charles entered and stepped aside, followed by the familiar red-and-cream streaked body of the Warden.

"Howdy, Thomas. Did Charles give ya the low-down?"

"Yeah. I'd say we're in a Texas-sized mess, Tyler. What're we gonna do to stop that crazy chick?"

"We're gonna take a trip to Fort Stockton and talk serious bidness with Abel an' Frank. If she git past the Fort, we might as well lay down in the street like a buncha dogs and kiss Feather Creek goodbye," he said stoically.

"When we leavin', Tyler?" Thomas asked.

He walked around the wooden desk and faced his Warden.

"Right now, Thomas."

He then faced Charles and said, "You tell every feller livin' here what's goin' on, but don't let 'em raise a ruckus. Tell 'em that Tyler an' Thomas'll handle everythin' right fine."

"Right away, Shuriff!"

Charles ran out the door on those skinny legs of his and was gone in two seconds.

"Let's head out, Tyler. I'll be right behind ya."

The Sheriff nodded to his Warden, straightened his belt once more, and then ambled out of the office, the hawk trailing him. Once they stepped out from under the shadow of the structure, they sprung into flight and circled above Feather Creek. They then pointed themselves to the northeast and flapped their wings heartily, speeding over the landscape like a pair of missiles.

The relentless sun hammered them with its rays, and they took turns flying beneath one another to minimize their exposure. They could see a few miles out into the plains from their elevated vantage point, and the horizon was eventually broken by a mass of shapes stretched out in a line. Those happened to be the buildings of Fort Stockton, protected by a sturdy wall of brick.

"Alright, there's the Fort. Double time, Warden! I can't stay out here too much longer, or I jus' might turn into a fried chicken!"

They zoomed up into the sky and then executed a dive, increasing their airspeed to impressive levels. The Fort looked it was sliding across the desert to meet them, when they were actually the ones going to meet it. When they were close enough to see the citizens milling about on the barren roads, they braked with their wings and swung around to the west side of the compound.

As was the tradition among all the sheriffs in Texas, they landed just outside the wooden gates barring their entry and waited patiently for someone to espy them. Their tough leather boots prevented their feet from being burned by the hot ground, and as a bonus were very comfortable.

A rather tough-looking Cooper's Hawk exited a building not too far down the street and began to walk away, but then stopped and flew quickly over to the waiting duo.

"I haven't seen either of you in these parts for some time now. What's goin' on, fellers?"

"We got lotsa bad medicine that Abel needs to hear right quick," Tyler said, his expression hard.

"Well, strip my feathers an' call me naked! Get in here!"

Frank unlocked the latch and pulled one side of the gate open. Tyler and Thomas sprinted in, and then Frank shut the gate with a loud rattle. He threw the latch back into place and nodded, and the three birds streaked across the lane. They landed on the porch of the Sheriff's quarters, and Frank motioned for them to proceed after pulling the door open.

Tyler and Thomas entered the roomy interior and saw a muddy brown tail sticking put past the right side of his desk, shaking oddly.

"Hey Abel, I brought some important guests fer ya!" Frank called from behind them.

The bird jerked up and thrust his gaze upon them, grinning sheepishly.

"What in blue blazes were you doin', Abel? Minin' fer coal?" Thomas asked playfully.

The imposing Golden Eagle plodded around his desk and stood in front of them.

"Well, if it isn't my good ol' buds from Feather Creek!"

He buried them in a suffocating hug, and then released them when they started squirming.

As the birds regained their breath – and Tyler straightened his vest – the towering bird said, "I can't seem to find my derned star. I've lost it again."

Frank walked over to Tyler's right side and rolled his eyes.

"Really, Sheriff? That's the second time this week!"

Ignoring Frank's annoyed tone, Abel faced his friends and asked, "So, what can I do ya fer?"

Tyler cleared his throat and prepared himself for Abel's reaction.

"You know who Calamity Jewel is, dontcha Abel?"

"Yeah. What about her? She get roped up like a rodeo bull yet?"

"Exactly the opposite. She done took control of san Angelo."

The eagle's wings drooped to the floor, and his beak cracked open.

"You gotta be kiddin' me, Ty! You ain't playin' no dirty joke on me, are ya? Cause if you are, I'll-"

"I'm tellin' the truth as sure as the sun is shinin', Abel. I heard it from one of my messengers not too long ago," Tyler replied.

Abel tucked his wings away and asked, "What we gonna do? She's bound to come up in here next an' take over my town! I'd rather take one hundred whips from a Black Snake!"

"All together, we're gonna make plans, Abel. We're gonna save yer fort, and we might just capture little miss Jessie while we're at it," announced Thomas.

The eagle let out a snort of anger and inhaled a deep breath.

"Alright, you got me. Let's get to talkin', then. Are we gonna have ourselves a shootout? Me an' my Colt make a damn good team."

He tapped the revolver stowed away in his belt for emphasis.

"That's how good birds get killed, Abel," Tyler warned.

"She's gonna bring more of them Indian scum than we can fight. We ain't gonna make the same mistakes that other sheriffs are makin'," Thomas put in.

"Right. We gonna set up a tricky little ambush meant fer Jessie only. If we can nab her, we'll use her as a hostage and make her call off the raid. It ain't gonna be as easy as it sounds, though."

"How are we gonna protect the supplies stored all over, not to mention the residents?" Abel asked tentatively.

"Gimme a minute to think."

Tyler moved away and began to pace back and forth, his boots constantly beating back the heavy silence. He traveled from wall to wall for two minutes, and then suddenly stopped.

"You thoughta something, Sheriff?"

The navy macaw spun around and faced his Warden, a wicked smile on his fuzzy face.

"Yer dang right I did. Listen here, fellas. We gotta set the stage for our trap, and this is how it's gonna go down. First, we gotta call all the birds that live here together and tell 'em what's happenin'. After that, we gotta have them move all the valuable stuff to the south side of the fort."

"Why should we do that, Ty?" Abel asked.

"San Angelo is nawth of here, so that's where Jessie's gonna swoop in from."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Good call, Ty."

"Thanks, Abel. Now, once all the stuff she likes to steal is outta sight, the birds are gonna collect in the south side as well. That way, they won't have to worry about eatin' any bullets. And then, we gon' sit back and wait for Calamity Jewel and her buddies to drop by."

"Are we gonna be doin' anything impo'tant?" Frank asked.

"Yep. Us four are the ambushers, which means we'll be hidin' out as close to the gates as possible. She's gonna be wonderin' up a stawm why the fort is a ghost town, and she's gonna search the buildings fer sure. Whoever gets close enough can take her down and tie her up. And that'll be the end of all this craziness."

"You know, I think Ty's got a right sweet plan," Frank intoned.

"So do I. Now, we gotta work out the specifics and discuss any problems that might come up," said Abel.

Thomas opened his beak and continued the conversation.

"First off, we gotta decide..."

The four birds chatted into the late afternoon hours, deeming the situation sorted out when the sun was halfway between its noontime spot and the horizon.

It was decided that the four buildings nearest the Fort's northern gate would be occupied by one bird each. Abel would be in the postage office, the second building on the right, and Frank would be in the next one down. Tyler would be hiding in the Sheriff's quarters, the third building on the left, and Thomas would be next in line.

They were to make as little noise as possible, to avoid alerting the Indians and ruining the element of surprise. The bird in the building that she picked would be the one to take her down, and the others would come to back him up as soon as he gave the signal that she was restrained. She would then be used as a hostage, and would be ordered to send the Indians packing.

The rest of the things they pored over were little details that were too numerous to mention.

Once the heated debate was finished, the birds set about organizing the two relocation phases. They were hell-bent on completing both before the night grew too old, as the citizens would definitely be exhausted and would need their rest.

The two Sheriffs and Wardens recruited every able bird in Fort Stockton to help, from younger ones to mature ones who possessed respectable fortitude. The ground animals were tasked with moving the bulkier items, while the airborne species handled the lighter ones.

The main street became a hotspot of activity as the creatures bustled back and forth, some in the process of carrying things and others going back for more. The structures on the south end of the fort rapidly filled up with the supplies, and the remaining artifacts had to be hauled to the rest on the neighboring streets.

As the number of things to be moved dwindled, the free helpers increased, creating a vicious cycle that swiftly ended the entire operation.

The sun had set over an hour before phase one was complete, and so phase two set in immediately. The families living on the north side stowed their valuables as best they could in their houses, while the families on the south side made room for their temporary guests.

The moon had barely risen by the time the northern families were done, and so they proceeded to switch sides and occupy the residences of their crosstown neighbors. They made themselves comfortable wherever they could, bringing along blankets, pillows, bottles, books, and lamps for their overnight stays.

Fort Stockton was indeed a ghost town, the buildings ransacked and the avenues barren. All the gas lamps had been turned off as well, the moon being the only source of illumination available.

The quartet of officers retired to the saloon and went to bed there, bidding each other goodnight before closing their eyes one by one. Zero hour was inevitable, but in their hearts was a premonition that everything was going to be fine.

The instant their biological clocks spurred them awake the next morning, they shifted into overdrive. They went to the south side, gobbled down a decent breakfast, and checked up on all the families and supplies in a thorough sweep.

They then flew a short ways past the northern gate and became sentries, watching the cactus-sprinkled plains for signs of Jessie's approach. They were forced back to the Fort itself after an hour of fruitless waiting, hungry for the shaded areas under the buildings.

The Sun left noontime behind and begin to slowly descend, and the birds grew flustered. Nonetheless, they did not call off their watch. The afternoon matured and grew old, and Jessie's armada still hadn't come.

Then, in the early evening hours, it happened.

A discreet patch broke free of the horizon and advanced, the featureless blob becoming a fluffy mass of wild colors. At the head of the formation was a light blue shape, one the birds recognized as Calamity Jewel herself.

They broke up and retreated to their chosen ambush spots, using the interior features to render themselves invisible from the street.

Five minutes later, a formidable array of forty or so macaws dropped to the ground inside the gate, the female Spix's Macaw at the head of the formation. Swirls and small patterns of colored ink made her appear even more beautiful and ruthless than she already was.

The four officers could not pick up what she was saying to her soldiers, but they generated efficient guesses in their heads. Jessie sent the majority of the assemblage down the street, ordering a select few to scout the structures in the vicinity.

The Sheriff's office was targeted by Jessie, as she had been known to do during her earlier raids. Tyler braced himself for the coming scuffle as she stepped in, the golden bell chiming brightly.

She brought her pistol up and put a bullet in it, ripping it from its cord and sending it to the floor. It rang oddly as it bounced all over, and then rolled to a stop just past the counter that Tyler was crouched behind.

"Where are you, blasted Sheriff? Come out and say hello to my little friend!" she taunted.

Tyler sensed her footfalls move in his direction, and he flattened himself even more, his chin touching the planks. He was surprised by her lack of a Texan accent, but kept that emotion – and his confusion as to why – under control. He inhaled as quietly as he could and held his breath as the vibrations she caused increased in intensity.

"Oh come on, there's _always_ a Sheriff in here with his gun out, ready to challenge me. Show yourself!"

He tensed up as he saw a gleaming barrel point over the counter, hanging over him for several seconds. It then pulled back out of sight, and Tyler decided to make his move.

"Man, something isn't right here. Where is the Sheriff? Hmmm..."

He detected two footfalls as he gradually rose into a standing position, stopping when he could peek over the wooden desk. Her back was to him, and she was walking languidly for the door. He would only have one chance to disarm her and remove her advantage, or she would surely beat him down or shoot him.

He stood the rest of the way, climbed onto the desk, and leapt for her.

"Yah!" he yelled as he pounced on her back. He dug his claws into the base of her tail, using his momentum to throw her off balance. She wobbled dangerously to the left, smacking into the lwall audibly.

She still had the pistol clenched in her right foot.

"Hey! Get the hell... off me!"

She turned to the right and backed up, pounding him against the unyielding wood. She knocked most of the breath from him, but he refused to give up.

He loosened his grip and shoved her away with his feet, the abruptness of the force causing her to stumble. He ran forwards and used his beak as a vice, grabbing the barrel of the pistol. Two shots rang out as she pulled the trigger, but Tyler was not hit and remained unfazed.

She flipped onto her back and scratched his face, and the pain motivated him to back away. He took the gun with him as he retreated and hurriedly aimed it at her. As he fumbled to cock it, Jessie cawed and tackled him to the ground.

"You messed up big time! I've never lost a fight! Never!"

She head-butted him in the chest and wrenched the pistol away, twisting his foot to an unpleasant degree. She then restes the barrel on his forehead. Tyler's adrenaline negated his fear, and he stared at her with malice.

"Go ahead, shoot me. It'll be the last damn thing you'll ever do."

She cocked the hammer and smiled victoriously.

"And how would you know? You'll be _dead_."

She smacked him with the butt of the gun, sending sprays of stars across his vision. He growled at her, seeing no way out of his predicament.

That is, until he tilted his eyes down and saw where his feet were in relation to her body.

_Oh boy... I'm gonna regret this later on... but at least It'll keep me from dyin'..._

He opened his right foot and clawed once, raking the sensitive oval of skin just past her legs.

"Ahhh!" she yelled, firing the pistol as she buckled from the surge of agony.

The bullet hit right above his head, sending chips of wood into the air. After a slight pause, she lowered the gun to target his skull. She folded her wings in between her legs, raspy wheezes erupting from her beak.

He closed his eyes as she said, "You... little... bastard! How... dare... y-"

There was the sound of wood hitting flesh, and he felt Jessie collapse on top of him. When he opened his eyes, he saw her head resting on his chest, unmoving.

As his vision was consumed by blobs of black, he saw the blurred outline of the Warden standing over him.

"Sheriff... are... okay?" the hawk said brokenly.

"Th-Thomas..." he whimpered as his head swam sickeningly.

As the hawk reached out to lift him, he left the real world and was ensnared by the chains of unconsciousness.

The black world of Tyler's trauma-induced slumber gradually regained its color as he awoke. The monotone brown enclosure he was in was alien for a few seconds, but then he recognized it as the back room of his office. He was staring at what could only be the ceiling, meaning that he was lying down.

After his senses had their functionality restored, he was swamped by a dull ache. Sore spots existed all over his body, but the area that throbbed most severely was his forehead.

_Maybe I should have stayed asleep. She did a number on me, that's for sure…_

He groaned and rose to a sitting position, his skin protesting every movement. He then slid carefully off of the bed, almost ending up on the floor due to his residual dizziness.

After steadying himself, he weakly called out, "Is... is anyone here? Hello?"

When no one responded, he concluded that the building was empty.

The air was strangely cool, which helped soothe him and ease his internal pain. He limped out of the room, for he felt a short pulse of discomfort every time his bootless right foot touched the ground.

He emerged into the main part of his quarters and passed his desk, aiming for the front door.

He reached out his wing to push it open, but he froze upon hearing a mute female voice, free of any accent at all: "You can… better… that…"

_Whoa... that sounds like... Jessie! What are they doin' to her? I best go out and see..._

He eased the door open and stepped out onto the porch, only to be met with a shock: The sky was patterned with grayish white clouds from horizon to horizon, which blocked the sun out. A light, fresh breeze was blowing, ruffling his feathers calmly.

The day was certainly overcast, but the prospect of rain was not good at all. It rained at most three times a month in that sector of Texas, and Feather Creek had only experienced one thorough dousing in the first week of April.

The main avenue was unpopulated to the west, but the east was a different story. There was a crowd of birds gathered a few buildings down, screening his view of Jessie. He limped at a fair pace, and no one noticed him until he drew within ten feet or so. The female's clipped voice continued to hum in his ears in regular intervals, instilling a sense of curiosity in him.

A Scarlet Macaw happened to turn around, and it was she who made his presence known. She hopped over to him and rested her wing on his shoulder tenderly.

"How you doin', Sheriff? Isn't it a bit too soon fer you to be strainin' yerself? Jessie beat you up somethin' fierce, I was told."

"I'm alright. Just sore from my head to my tail. What's goin' on that's got everybody all bunched up?"

She removed her wing and replied, "Jessie all tied up like a horse, and Warden Thomas be whippin' her. But it's like it ain't even hurtin' her, Sheriff. She's like a statue."

"Really? I'm gonna take a look."

The macaw turned towards the others and squawked, "Make way, yawl. The Sheriff's a comin'."

They gave him surprised stares as they parted, granting him access to the event going inside the circle. When he got to the inner rim, he stopped.

Sure enough, the criminal known as Jessie was tied to a carriage hitching bar via a rope knotted around her neck.

Her face was covered in bruises, and her left eye had been blackened and was swollen shut. There were a few perfectly straight cuts on the side of her neck, the feathers having been torn out where the whip contacted them.

The Warden was rooted about fifteen paces in front of her, an oil-colored whip clutched in his right foot. Abel and Frank were poised behind him and off to the right, their wings crossed in satisfaction.

Tyler's striking plumage snagged Thomas's attention, and the hawk met his gaze.

"Glad to see yer up, Sheriff. Don't worry, I've been givin' this here criminal some hell with this Black Snake. She done been hit ten times, but she ain't losin' it yet."

"Thanks fer yer concern, Thomas. I'm doin' mostly fine. Please continue."

Jessie whipped her head in his direction and gave him a one-eyed, poisonous stare, modifying it with a triumphant smile. She said nothing, however.

Thomas drew his foot back and let loose with the whip, nailing her at the base of the neck and opening up a cut. She merely twitched and blinked, stoically masking the fiery pain she must have felt.

He struck her twice more, and that was when she spoke directly to Tyler in a grunt: "Too weak... to punish me yourself? Not only... are you a bad fighter... you're an even worse sheriff."

Tyler snorted with disgust.

"Shut yer beak. I ain't the one on the losin' end, now am I?"

She didn't reply, and Thomas struck her in the chest. The hawk then moved around to her back, robbing her of tiny patches of feathers and slicing her skin. Thin streams of blood trickled from each wound, running down her plumage and being absorbed by the bone-dry turf.

She trained her gaze on Thomas as he assaulted her, barely reacting to the spikes of agony in the wake of each crack of the leather rope. She silently challenged him to make her scream, and he began to flick the Black Snake with a considerable amount of force.

The sound barrier-breaking tip bit into her nape, and then the edge of her wing, and then her lower back, and still she did not say anything. Trails of scarlet decorated now decorated her back, forming jagged patterns of stains upon her feathers.

_Damn, how much can this girl take? No one I've seen has ever lasted this long before yellin' out in pain! Either she's got amazin' self-control... or she's downright crazy..._

On the eighteenth strike, Tyler saw beads of fluid appear in the corners of her eyes. On the nineteenth, her beak curled into a frown for a second or so. And then, an instant after the twentieth strike lacerated the back of her neck, everyone watching the spectacle received the shock of the day.

She crumpled to the ground and immediately started crying, sending forth copious amounts of tears. Tyler and Thomas were stunned the deepest of all, utterly confusing the former.

_What in blue blazes? She started bawlin' just like that! Maybe she really is out of her mind...  
_

The latter, however, took it as a victory over the outlaw.

"I see you finally cracked! Have some more, filthy girl!"

The striped hawk targeted the side of her neck and cracked the whip, hitting his mark with incredible precision. A few drops of blood were sent flying, and she gave a sharp lurch.

She then let loose a drawn out wail of intense agony: "Ahhh! My neck... it BURNS!"

"No shit, girl! That's the point!" Thomas retorted.

He nailed her again on her shoulder joint, and she bucked again.

"Yahhh! No more... please! _Please!_"

Thomas cackled and replied, "I'm plannin' on givin' you fifty lashes, girl. You ain't gonna stop me!"

She squirmed like an angry bronco every time she was lashed, the rope restraining her movements to some degree. A tiny part of Tyler's soul cringed terribly with pity for her, but the overwhelming majority felt that she was atoning for her crimes.

Being whipped was how all the criminals were punished in that day and age. Rather than having wrong-doers work for the community positively, the biological system known as pain was utilized negatively, and the outlaws were subjected to grueling bodily torture.

The Black Snake ripped into the left side of her belly, causing her to shriek and roll onto her back. She then took a hit to the spot above her heart, and her back arched in a spasm.

She began to hyperventilate, her gasping breaths preventing her from speaking properly.

"You're k-killing... me. I beg y-you... please... s-stop. Please... unh..."

Her marred face bore a sheen from all the tears she had spilled, and there was a pinkish plot of bloodstained dirt all around her. She lay flat on her back with her wings splayed out, her feet perpetually clenched from the miasma of agony that plagued her brain.

She craned her head up to look at her assailant, and the whip dined on her stomach. She screamed and wrapped her wings over her belly, rocking her head from side to side. She slapped her left cheek against the soil, her right eye wandering erratically, her breaths racing in and out.

She sobbed as the whip marred her skin three more times. Her shrunken pupil dilated as the seconds ticked by, and the two halves of her beak parted incrementally. She looked astonished, despite the saddened expression she wore.

Two more whips later, she scrounged up the strength to speak. What came out of her beak astonished the spectators in turn: "Ty... Tyler? Is that... is that... you? Have I... found..."

"What are you talkin' 'bout?" Tyler replied curtly.

"No... it's you. I found you... Tyler. I... arrrgh!"

Her sentence was cut off as she squawked, Thomas having loosed the whip upon her wing.

He faced his inferior and said, "Give it a rest, Thomas! She's tryin' to talk!"

Dumbfounded, he lowered his half-prepared foot and replied, "She's jus' stallin' us with her babblin', Sheriff!"

"Jus'... put the whip down for a minute!"

The distraught hawk grudgingly complied, releasing the braided grip.

The blue sheriff faced the whimpering, mutilated macaw and asked, "How do you know my name is Tyler? And what's this business 'bout you findin' him? That makes zero sense!"

He had never recalled seeing her up until the day before, and so he was at a loss as he tried to understand how _she_ could possibly know _him_.

She gulped thickly and moaned, "You're Tyler Gunderson… and I've been… looking for you. And now… I've found you. You're my… my… brother. I want to explain… but… but…"

She gave a defeated sigh and passed out, her eye drawing closed.

The wind stirred her primaries every so often, and she could have been classified as dead if it weren't for the labored pulsing of her chest. The cooing of the wind was the only sound to be heard for a few whole minutes.

Thomas, Frank and Abel stared at the silent female, blinking as they tried to process her claims.

Abel eventually faced Tyler and broke the silence: "The pain made her lose her mind. You don't believe none of that garbage, do you, Ty?"

He panned back and forth between the mysterious female and the eagle, his mind thrown for a convoluted loop.

"Um... how can I? I ain't never had no sister! I was an only child. I swear high and low I was."

The ring of beings around the began to murmur their opinions, and Tyler blocked out the myriad of voices as he tried to think. "I bet you're right, Abel. Her brain was screwed up. Did you see how fast she changed her mood?"

"I sure did. Maybe she's flat-out crazy to begin with, and the Black Snake made it worse. She was jus' spoutin' nonsense."

"I have to agree."

"What we gonna do with her, Sheriff? Give her a few more licks?"

He studied her body, polka-dotted with short, bloody stripes of bare skin.

"No," he said staunchly. "There's no point. She ain't gonna feel no pain."

He remembered the wanted poster dangling in his office, and the instructions written upon it should she be apprehended.

"We done got her in custody, so it's high time she get sentenced. We gotta go to Austin for that. Wash her up and clean her wounds, an' then drop her off in my quarters. I'll take care of her from there."

Thomas narrowed his eyes and asked, "But Sheriff, why can't we jus' let her get sick an' die? Then this world will be done with her, an' Texas will be back to its usual self."

"The people down in Austin want her alive, an' if they wanna make her take the big jump, that's their business. We ain't gonna get a reward otherwise. Are you understandin' me?"

"But-"

"No buts, Thomas! I said, are you understandin' me?"

The hawk glowered at his senior officer, but said flatly, "Yes, Sheriff."

"Good. Now git."

"You got it, Sheriff."

"Me an' Frank are gonna head back to the Fort, if you don't mind, Ty. You've handled things here already."

"Fine with me. Stay safe, you hear?"

"Yep," the eagle replied, and spread his broad wings for liftoff.

Tyler thought of something and spouted it before the eagle could depart: "Say, Abel, why don't you and Frank ride on the train with us to Austin?"

The eagle rotated around and smiled at his equal.

"That idea ain't half bad, Ty! Just send someone to let us know which train we'll be ridin' whenever you can."

"Can do. See you 'round, fellers."

The two birds nodded heartily and spiraled into the sky, jetting off to the north a few seconds later. When they had turned to tiny dots in the dull sky, he addressed the crowd.

"Yawl run on back to yer homes and businesses. The party's over, but the day ain't. Jessie won't be causin' no more trouble from now on."

As the locals heeded his order and disbanded, Thomas conscripted Feather Creek's doctor to carry her to his place of treatment. They secured her slumbering form with their feet and airlifted her down the street.

While the birds were still flying off, Tyler sighed, slouched a bit, and hobbled back to his quarters.

The bell dangling from the upper part of the frame chimed as he entered, and made him long for the days when life was easy, mundane. Though that day was as rare as they got, it was so for the varied mix of emotions that flowered in him.

Abel's words regarding her possible mental instability had significant merit, but he had to place a shred of faith in the chance that she was indeed telling the truth. He knew not a thing about her aside from the facts pertaining to her lawlessness, but he could not deny the possibility that she was truly his sister.

He scooted his seat aside and searched the messy pile of papers on the counter for that week's train schedule. He fished the sheet out after spotting its title, and then placed it on the top of the stack.

_Today is Friday, so... we got a train comin' in at noon and another at six. Might as well take the early one, and hope that I get back in time for dinner…_

He pushed the stack to the right side of the counter and seated himself in his spongy chair. He opted to lock up all his thoughts about Jessie until she roused, and could properly explain her radical assumptions.

He propped his tail up on the wood and crossed his legs, his usual position when he had nothing to do. He hung his head and closed his eyes, falling into a light nap.

He didn't get to dream much, since the high-pitched speech of the bell gently stirred him about one hour in.

He blinked away the haze in his vision, and saw Thomas standing there, his face emotionless. Jessie was slung over his back, but her weight didn't seem to prove much of a problem for him.

"Here she is, Sheriff. The doctor says she'll be fine, an' he gave her some of that valerian stuff to help her stay asleep."

Tyler dismounted and approached his friend, and the female was transferred to her male counterpart.

Shouldering the load, Tyler said, "Thanks a bunch, Thomas."

"No problem, Tyler."

"Could you send Charles over to Fort Stockton to notify Frank an' Abel that we'll be ridin' the noon train to Austin?"

"Right away, Tyler."

"Alright. See you 'round. I'll be sleepin' in here tonight, though Jessie won't be much of a threat anymore."

"Okie dokie, Sheriff. Am I gonna be comin' to Austin with ya?"

"Of course you are, Warden," he replied somewhat cheerily.

"Sounds mighty good. Bye, Sheriff."

"Bye, Warden."

The bell tinkled as the hawk took his leave, and Tyler marched for the room he had previously occupied, the one used for locking up criminals. He tromped in and laid her on the bed belly down, her head pointing at the south wall. A slew of X-shaped bandages were scattered all over her healthy plumage, and her left eye was shrouded beneath a cloth bandage that had been wound around her head.

Her left wing unfurled partially and scraped the floor, and so he tucked it back in its proper place. He did not feel the least bit odd for treating – and having her treated – so lovingly, someone who was his _potential_ sister and someone who had been traumatized to an alarming degree. He was in part satisfying his own natural tendencies, and complying with the guidelines of the folks in the capitol.

"Sleep well, Jessie, but don't keep your secrets from me fer too long."

He left and shut the door quietly, deciding to lock it from the outside with the key he kept safe in the back of his belt. After hearing the lock utter a resolute _click_, he dropped the key back in the pocket and climbed into his chair.

In cowboy lingo, he was "tuckered-out" in both body and mind, so he idly read the newspaper. His hold on his consciousness faded much faster than the daylight, and he was out in less than twenty minutes.

The building was as quiet as it could possibly be, save for the male macaw's airy breathing. The moon had barely struggled out from under the horizon when someone landed outside and scooted the door open enough to poke his head in. It was Thomas the hawk.

He whispered, "Everyone here has done turned in, Sheriff. I was comin' to say-"

He clacked his beak shut when he saw the macaw snoozing contentedly with the paper blanketing his chest, and formed a warm smile.

"Good night, Ty."

The hawk drew his head back, shut the door, and headed home.

Tyler was never disturbed again until the next morning, nor was Jessie healed enough to come to. Thomas awoke him at precisely eleven o'clock, and the birds prepped themselves for their cross-state train ride.

Tyler unlocked the back room and checked on Jessie, greeting her even though she could not respond. He then left to relieve himself outside the town border, and then returned to dine with the Warden.

A few minutes after they cleaned their beaks, the steamy wheezing of an approaching train shifted them into high gear.

Tyler located Charles and ordered him to spread the word that Feather Creek would have to run without its top security officers. Charles nodded and set off to spread the news, but not before stating that Abel and Frank would not be accompanying them. An elderly rattlesnake couple had died in their sleep during the night, and they were staying behind to attend the funeral.

Tyler and Thomas absorbed the news with sadness, but pushed their remorse to the backs of their minds for the time being.

They extracted Jessie and airlifted her to the train station in time to watch it pull in.

Due to the priority of the trip, Tyler negotiated with the conductor to have the ten supply cars dislocated from the engine and hauled away later. They also unhooked all but one passenger car so that the train could move faster while concurrently giving the occupants privacy.

Once all that was taken care of, the birds boarded, and the conductor stoked the engine. Several dozen Feather Creek residents waved goodbye to their law-upholders as the train rolled away from the station. Thomas and Tyler waved back from the car until the station shrank into the distance.

Thomas seated himself opposite from Tyler and the reclining criminal, his legs and tangling dangling over the edge of the plush crimson seat. The Spix's Macaw mirrored his pose, his eyes hardly ever leaving Jessie's unbecoming form.

He tried at random intervals to rouse her by calling her name and touching her face, but it wasn't until they passed the second switch point that she showed signs of revival. She mumbled in her delirium and shivered momentarily before forcing her eye open.

Thomas's gaze wasn't remorseful, but needy. Tyler's, on the other hand, was hopeful _and_ needy.

"Ugh... my whole body... hurts..."

She lifted her head and peered around the room, spying Thomas briefly, and then laying her eye on the macaw inches away from her.

"Where… am I?"

Thomas replied, "Yer on a train that's bound for Austin, where you'll be sentenced for yer crimes, girl."

She did not glance at him, but her eye dimmed with fear.

"Tyler, it's time for me to explain who I am."

"You don't know how long I've waited for you to say that."

"I swear it's the truth. You have to believe me, okay?"

"Ummm... I'll try to be as impartial as possible."

"Okay. I guess I'll have to accept that."

She tipped her head towards the hawk and added, "What about him?"

Tyler looked at his inferior, who had his wings crossed over his chest.

"I'll believe what I want to believe," the hawk declared.

Tyler nodded and gazed apologetically at her, and she bobbed her head in defeated agreement. She guided her right foot off the edge of the seat and waited for it to touch the floor before lowering the other.

She crouched onto her stomach, inhaled deeply, and opened her beak to speak.

"You and I were born in Lamesa, Texas, in 1831. On July 17th, actually. Our parents, Caleb and Ashley Gunderson, named me Jessie, and named you Tyler. You were the curious one, always roaming around the house and asking questions about everything you saw. And I... I was the frightening one. Our parents knew something was wrong with me when I started having mood swings for no reason at all. I could be happy one second, and then turn angry and start throwing things the next. I could be bored out of my mind, and then I would burst into tears and cry for hours. I would be feeling tired, and then I would get paralyzed by fear, thinking that monsters were coming to kill me. You tried to calm me down sometimes, but others, you ran away and hid in your room. Mom and Dad tried to do the same, but it never worked. I would stay sad or angry or terrified until I decided to stop, whether my spells lasted ten minutes or two hours. I couldn't control my emotions whatsoever. They just happened, and they enslaved my tiny little body. After two months of doctor visits, small doses of medication, and failed attempts at soothing me when I threw a fit, they couldn't handle me anymore. They thought I was possessed by a demon, that I was insane, and that I could never be healed. As a last resort, they tried…"

She paused and inhaled deeply, and then continued.

"They tried an exorcism on me… and it didn't work. It was horrible, Tyler. The stuff of nightmares. I refuse to speak about what it put me through, so don't ask. After that, they gave up. Late at night, after they had tucked you into bed, they bundled me up in my favorite blanket and… and…"

She sniffled and wiped her eye with her wing, her crystal clear memories strangling her spirits.

She ensnared him in an unbreakable gaze of sorrow and said, "They took me away... and dropped me off... at an orphanage. I never saw them or you ever again. I lived at that orphanage for two years, and I was only treated well enough to be kept alive. The other chicks wouldn't come near me or talk to me or comfort me, and the caretaker also thought I had been touched by the devil. All I wanted was to love... and be loved... but even more than that... I wanted to find my brother... _you_. The day I turned two, I busted out and flew as far and fast as I could, and I never looked back. I traveled east, looking for a macaw couple who could take me in and raise me properly. I knew I had no chance of finding you if I didn't learn about the world I lived in and how it worked. I went as far as Graham, and then I decided to turn north. I slept wherever I could and ate whatever I found in the deserts or whatever people would give me. I told anyone who would listen about my situation and asked if they would adopt me, but I never got to stay more than a week at any one home. I bet one of the few reasons I survived was the possibility that I would see you again, one day."

She paused and dried her tears, inhaling once again before adding on to her recollection.

"I was a few months away from turning three when I made it to Amarillo, and that was when one of my dreams became a reality. I found a Scarlet Macaw couple who were both sixteen years old. Oliver and Hailey were their names. After staying with them a few days and telling them all about myself, I popped the big question. I cried tears of joy when they said they would adopt me, but I got depressed when they told me the reason behind it. As it turns out, they had a daughter named Cassandra, who they had not seen in one full year. She was three years old when she went to visit a friend in Hereford. Well, she never came back. They believe she tried to fly back home, but got caught in a dust storm that had swept across the Panhandle, and died in the desert. They did all they possibly could, calling upon ranchers and cavalry to search far and wide, but they were forced to accept that she was gone. I would never be able to replace Cassie, but they would be able to nurture a young chick to maturity, like they had always wanted. I changed my last name to Rockwell to show that I belonged to them, and also because I wanted to eliminate all traces of our cruel parents from my life."

She drew in another breath and kept going.

"They loved me and cared for me better than I would have ever imagined, turning me from a scared, abused little chick into the mature girl I am today. My mood swings still hit me from time to time, but they came less often. I visited their family every year on my birthday, celebrated holidays with them, and had some amazing Christmases. My young life flew by so fast, I was ten years old before I knew it. My foster parents constantly urged me to go out on my own and see the world, and even begin the process of finding you. I bid them teary goodbyes and promised them from the bottom of my heart that I would come back, and even try to come back with my brother. I-"

Thomas interrupted her: "How did you get involved with them damn Indians, girl? How and why did you screw yer life up?"

She faced him and squinted her eye into a slit.

"I'm getting there, alright? You can't listen very well while you're running your beak."

"Hey! You better quit runnin' _yer_ beak, girl!"

In order to prevent a physical conversation, Tyler made an "easy, there," motion in the Warden's direction with his wing.

He then eyed her in an unyielding manner and said emphatically, "Jessie, you were saying?"

She huffed angrily and resumed her recital.

"I didn't know if you had left our house, but I assumed you had. I flew to Perryton and started asking the sheriffs and people if they knew my former parents or you. Whenever I was convinced that no one in Perryton did, I flew south and started my routine all over. I went to Dalhart, and then to Dumas and Borger. No luck. Pampa and Shamrock were busts too. In Clarendon, I ran into a bunch of Native American macaws in a camp nearby. They acted mysterious and had strange accents, but some of them understood me when I asked them about you. The leader of that camp, a Military Macaw named Creeping Serpent, told me that he had been hearing of trouble between his allies and a dark blue macaw often called 'Ty.' He claimed he was down south somewhere, but that his exact location was unknown. My instincts told me that he was talking about you. Since that was the only lead I had so far, I had to pursue it. I wanted them to help me discover your whereabouts, but they wouldn't trade something for nothing. They wanted me to fight with them and take back the land the Texans had 'stolen' from them, so that they could expand their society and send a message to their adversaries. I had no choice but to play along. I did make a few friends here and there, and they named me Feathered Goddess as part of my initiation. They decorated me with war paint and sung songs about me to their gods, and I became an official member after that. First, we chose a vulnerable community, and then we started spreading our influence. We tried to gather support for our cause by speaking to the citizens, but everyone thought we were out of our minds."

She let her right eye linger on Thomas, her beak bent into an upset frown.

"Jessie, please, jus' stop with the taunts," Tyler pleaded.

Returning her focus to the azure male, she gobbled up more oxygen and opened her beak.

"We committed only petty crimes in the beginning, like harassing passerby and threatening to steal whatever we could get our claws on. We left a few scared towns in our wake, so in a way we were succeeding at our goal. Well, their goal, really. But things weren't progressing fast enough for me or them as a whole. They weren't gaining enough ground, and I was no closer to learning where you lived. That was when things got serious. We formed large groups and began raiding every town we could find, moving slowly south. We picked up a few other bunches of Native Americans who wanted to cooperate along the way. We took most of a town's supplies in exchange for not attacking and taking over, but those actions caused most of the birds there to leave anyways. When all but the stubborn animals were left, we chased them out. The whole place was ours from then on. We formed a base of operations in Stamford in 1842, and fanned out from there. Southward we kept pushing, my friends scattering the citizens while I beat up the Sheriff and the Warden to further intimidate them. By that time, I was an efficient shooter and fighter, my well-muscled body slim and my aim superb. In late 1842, after we conquered Odessa, I stayed in Big Spring to wait out the winter, which was particularly harsh. Our parents died that year, too, but the news hardly affected me. The train they were riding from Lamesa to Muleshoe derailed, and they were only two of the twenty casualties."

She cut herself off as the car leaned over and then rocked from side to side, probably the result of the engine tracing a bend in the tracks. Tyler lowered his head and sent up a silent prayer for them.

When it had stopped tilting, Jessie sucked in oxygen and resumed her speech.

"Life was pretty relaxed as we entered 1843, but then our idea of domination was hit hard. We lost a good chunk of our allies in the shootout, and it angered us as much as it humiliated us. When I found out that you were the one who killed most of them, I threw a fit of rage until I passed out from exhaustion. But then, I realized that you were only doing what you had to do to fulfill your role, and stay alive. I can't say that I've forgiven you, but I don't hate you. After that, I went to Creeping Serpent and ordered him to lead me to Feather Creek. He said that we might as well take over San Angelo on the way, and so we rallied all the birds that we could and left. We flushed out all the citizens in San Angelo without much hassle, leaving some behind to finish up. Deciding to try our luck with Fort Stockton, since we thought we were going to win, Creeping Serpent and I went there with about forty soldiers. That was when you showed up and fought me... and ruined everything. And yes, I knocked you out, but like I said earlier, I had to stay alive. And I didn't even know who you were then. The rest is history... and here we are."

Needless to say, Tyler's mind was blown. Thomas even had an enlightened expression on his face.

Tyler's brilliant mind underwent an epiphany of sorts, and he came to one critical conclusion in that moment: his sister was standing before him, without a doubt. He wondered if Thomas had been swayed, in light of the tsunami of logic sent his way.

Tyler spent an eternity digging into his sister's eye, now that he truly knew _who_ she was and _what_ she had been through from birth to the present day. Thomas hopped down from the plush seat and interrupted the reverie.

"That little speech of yers was mighty fantastic, Jessie. I have to say, you made it mighty hard to not believe you. I got a million questions about why you did what you did, but I don't think there's time to hear the answers. You know where we're goin', and what could happen. The officers in Austin ain't gonna care about why you did yer crimes, they're gonna care that you _did_ them. They're either gonna chuck you in the big pasture for a long damn time, or scratch you out fer good."

The implications Thomas spoke of were like cords choking her soul, and her dread began to multiply. She drew within inches of her brother and hugged him like she had never hugged him before. When she was done, she glued her wings to his shoulders and tilted her eye.

"Tyler, you and Thomas are the only ones to hear my entire past, from start to finish. But for now, all I'm saying is meant for you only. I've only been with you for less than a week, and there is _so much_ I have left to learn about you. You can't let them take me away. You can't let them kill me. If I lose you… I'll have nothing else to live for. Please, you have to convince them to give me as light a sentence as possible."

He figured she would say as much, but was still unprepared for the bind it would put him in.

"Jessie, I... I don't know if I can. To fight them may mean I'll be losin' mah job. I'm just the sheriff of a town and a few counties. I can be easily replaced."

She jostled him with her wings, her eye dampening with tears.

"Then at least try, Tyler. Please… just try…"

He exhaled morosely and used his wings to remove hers. How could he not oblige his sister one last time? If he succeeded, then all would be well. If he didn't, he would lose his esteemed position _and_ his sister, and wouldn't have anything to live for either.

He had begun to feel the first pangs of honest love for her, and his conscience ultimately won him over.

"Oh Jessie… I'm gonna regret this… but I'll do it…"

The rush of joy upon hearing those words forced the tears from her eye, and she clamped onto him in another hug.

"Thank you... brother..."

"You're welcome... sister..."

Thomas stepped up to the Sheriff and asked, "Hold on, hold on, you can't be serious, Ty! Yer crazy to try an' bargain with them!"

Tyler looked his way and flashed a worried, stoic smile.

"I ain't one to back down, either."

The train click-clacked over and over for another six hours, the two related macaws' distress rising concurrently. Tyler was busy formulating what he would say while Thomas napped and Jessie worried her brains out. The rail-bound vehicle ground to a stop in the early evening, the sun dangling above the edge of the world. They freed themselves from the car, the apprehensive Jessie shepherded along by her brother.

They suffered a shock when they stepped out onto the platform, and were met by a five-strong band of macaws sporting badges of high rank on their vests. The Hyacinth Macaw named Rex hopped forwards and folded his wings.

"Well well well, look who we have here, boys. It's the outlaw, an' she's all cut up," he said scornfully.

" 'Bout time her law-breakin' ass gets caught," squawked a female Scarlet Macaw, readjusting her hat.

"How… how did yawl know we was gonna be here?" Tyler asked, perplexed.

"Word travels fast as hell when Texas's most wanted criminal has the tables turned on her, Sheriff," said a male Military Macaw named Jeremy.

Rex proclaimed, "All of you git inside the station, so that we can drop a ton of Texas justice on her pitiful ass."

The team of macaws trudged away on their heavy boots, and the others followed. After tromping along the planks in the direction of the setting sun, the menagerie of birds entered the processing building. The clerk was nowhere to be seen.

The five macaws arranged themselves in front of the counter, and Tyler tucked Jessie between him and Thomas. The Hyacinth Macaw repositioned his belt and cleared his throat.

"We're all here to discuss the punishment for Jessie Rockwell. Amos, would you please read the crimes she has on her head?"

A Blue and Gold Macaw withdrew a rolled up sheet of paper from his belt pocket and unfurled it. He squashed it against the plank floor and cleared his throat.

"Jessie Rockwell, a.k.a 'Calamity Jewel,' is charged with multiple counts of assault, multiple counts of thievery, disturbin' the peace, spreadin' terror, an' consultin' with the Native Americans openly."

When Amos's beak clacked shut, the Hyacinth spoke: "What do you say in yer defense, outlaw?"

Jessie grew flustered and said intimidatingly, "I did all of that to find Tyler. He's my brother. But it won't make sense to any of you, and I'm not going to explain!"

Rex smiled smugly, unfazed by her anger.

"Like we'd even want you to. You'd just be wastin' our time, and yer future's already gone to hell."

"She's telling the truth! She wouldn't lie to me, not after all she's been through to find me."

The Scarlet Macaw named Evelyn retorted, "Oh, is that so? Don't go pickin' the wrong side Sheriff, or we'll strip that star off yer vest so fast, you'll be spinnin' like a Texas twister."

"Shut yer damn beak, Tyler," Rex warned. "She's in our claws now, and I've got a mind to send her to the big pasture until she's nothin' but a skeleton."

He showed his back to the trio of macaws and added, "What do yawl think?"

Amos piped, "I say we put a bullet in her brain and be done with her."

"Naw, that's too easy, Amos," Jeremy and Evelyn cawed.

"I agree with Rex. Send her to the penitentiary," the female quipped.

Another Military Macaw named Jack said, "Yep. Let's tuck her into a room made of four walls, a ceilin', and a floor, Rex."

The macaw raked his gaze across all of them, and then twirled around.

"Well, that's settled. Looks like she'll be goin' to the State Penitentiary. I'll make sure she won't be comin' out."

Those words sent both Tyler's and Jessie's moods into a frenzy, though her condition accentuated her response greatly.

"No! Please no! You can't steal me away from him! I barely even know him!" she cawed raucously.

"Then it'll be easy fer you to forget him, now won't it?" Rex replied succinctly.

"Evelyn, git yer wingcuffs and restrain her," Jeremy ordered.

The macaw in question pulled a collapsed oval of shiny metal from a large rear belt pocket and popped it open. She moved in to fasten them to the battered female, but Tyler blocked her path.

"Don't do this to her! Let her stay with me and serve her sentence a different way. She's the only family I have left, Rex! How did you feel when you saw Ray get struck down by a rattler?"

The four other birds of Rex's contingent gasped.

His face went cold as Tyler brought back the nightmarish memories of his brother's death, and he stared incredulously at the Spix's Macaw.

"I remember you sayin' you were _this_ close to killin' yerself. Don't cut her out of mah life and make me suffer like you did, Rex! We'll negotiate a different sentence for her right here and right now, and we'll make it equal to yours. I killed that snake for what he did to Ray. You owe me."

The Hyacinth Macaw's expression shifted from rage to despair to loss to understanding, and cycled through all of them again. At last, the quivering macaw narrowed his eyes to the thinnest of gaps and spoke.

"Damn you to hell, Sheriff."

He whipped out his Colt revolver and cocked it in one fell swoop, aiming it straight for Tyler's forehead.

"How_ dare_ you. I should drop _you_ and _her_ right now."

His claw curled in to squeeze the trigger, and the Spix's Macaws shut their eyes.

Rex didn't fire.

He stowed the pistol away, but charged up to Tyler with a glare as hot as the Texas Sun. He grabbed Tyler's chest feathers painfully with his foot, twisting his skin and making him cringe.

"I guess you got yerself a deal. But so help me Sheriff, if she gets outta line _one damn time_, I will track her down, shove my Colt in her beak, and turn her brain to mush. You got me, Sheriff Tyler?"

"Y-yes, Rex. I g-got you."

He shoved Tyler backwards, and Jessie stumbled as she absorbed the force of Tyler bumping into her.

She grunted as the impact made her chest wounds ache, but her moans were cut off by Rex's authoritative drawl: "So tell me, Sheriff, what sentence do you think she deserves instead?"

"Well, um, since she's so close to them Native Americans, we can destroy 'em from the inside. She can lead us to all the towns they control, and we'll create traps for them Indians with her help. If we take enough soldiers, we can get the towns back eventually."

"Alright, that sounds good. But that ain't enough for me."

"Okay. After we've dealt with them Indians, how about she goes to work in every town that she attacked, and doesn't leave until she's made 250 dollars?"

Rex cocked his eyebrow.

"500 dollars, Sheriff. Nothin' more, nothin' less."

"Alright, Rex. I'll settle for that."

"I don't believe this trash!" Evelyn protested. "Rex, why are you listenin' to _him?_ He don't call the shots around here!"

Rex turned and locked her in his gaze.

"Shut yer trap, girl. I know he don't call the shots."

He trotted over to her, using his height to his advantage. He bent his head down and affected an expression of dominance.

"But I_ do_."

Evelyn refolded the wingcuffs and backed away.

"Alright, no need to get physical. I hear you…"

Rex turned to the Blu and Gold Macaw and ordered, "Amos, get to writin' the terms of her sentence."

To the slimmer Military Macaw he declared, "Jeremy, let the conductor know that we'll be leavin' for Feather Creek in twenty minutes."

The Hyacinth paused, and then called, "Sheriff Tyler?"

The male Rex addressed rotated and faced the fortuitous macaw.

"Yes, Rex?"

"You are to give me a weekly update on how she is doing. Warden Thomas can write one in your place, if you choose. You are gonna be responsible for guiding her on what to do, Tyler, and Thomas will be there to help out. Is that clear, Sheriff?"

"Perfectly." Rex then looked at the hawk and concluded, "Since Tyler doesn't have the guts to do it, you have mah permission to scratch her out if she repeatedly disobeys. If you can, send me a postal message first, and I'll judge if she needs to be shot. When you get my reply, the orders in it are final. Is that clear, Warden?"

"Yep. No need to repeat yerself."

With that, the Hyacinth nodded, fixed his hat, and walked over to Amos. Tyler faced his sister, whose heavenly eye was gleaming with tears of limitless optimism. Not caring who saw them or what they thought, the siblings latched onto each other and hugged without pause.

The scene was diabetes-inducing, to say the least. They leaned their heads back enough so that they could see each other nicely.

"Oh Tyler, I'll never be able... to thank you enough. You saved me... from a cruel future. No, you saved me... from not having a future at all. Now that I have you... I'll do my best to repay everyone... for my crimes..."

He rubbed her back and sniffled. "You don't have to thank me, sis. I know you'll put yer evil self behind and redeem yerself right fine."

"But what about… my sickness? I know I'll never be free of it. I don't want it to split us apart…"

He smiled and replied, "I'll always be here to make sure it doesn't drag you down. And trust me… we'll never separate… until we see our last sunset together."

She nodded, and he responded by saying, "Jessie, sister, I love you…"

He pegged her cheek with a penetrating kiss, and the room surrounding them melted away from the bliss pouring from their bodies. He had pulled his sister away from the abyss of despair and loneliness, and they had their entire lives to live in happiness and prosperity.

All was well, as he had hoped it would be. Yes, all was irrefutably and perfectly well.

After a few copies of the official sentence information had been written and handed out by Amos to all the birds involved, a few parting discussions were held, all in reference to the two Spix's Macaws and the Warden. After that, the session was deemed over, and the trio of visitors boarded the train that would ferry them home.

The five law-administering macaws watched with complex expressions as the train whistle bellowed and the wheels began to spin. The sun had already sheltered itself below the horizon, though its stubborn rays still painted the sky with the colors of dusk.

The inside of the car they rode in was choked with every positive emotion imaginable, feelings that seeped from the skin of the two macaws. The hawk was put off by their fawning words and gestures, and napped to save himself from the auditory and visual poison.

_I'm glad I'm an only child. Oh, and that'll be the day when I'll have to deal with rambunctious little hawks of mah own…_ was his last ill-tempered thought before he dozed off.

Brother and sister were enraptured by the possibilities that they would be experiencing during and after the female completed her term. Now that their lives were secured in every way and manner, they had all the time in the world to do all they ever wanted. They were consumed by their love for each other and their soon-to-be fulfilled hopes, and no one on Earth was as happy as they are.

And so it was that the train, click-clacking in a precise rhythm, hauled them off to the west, the dying sun backlighting the car as they went.

* * *

**Alternate Ending**

* * *

"All of you git inside the station, so that we can drop a ton of Texas justice on her pitiful ass."

Rex proclaimed, "All of you git inside the station, so that we can drop a ton of Texas justice on her pitiful ass."

The team of macaws trudged away on their heavy boots, and the others followed. After tromping along the planks in the direction of the setting sun, the menagerie of birds entered the processing building. The clerk was nowhere to be seen.

The five macaws arranged themselves in front of the counter, and Tyler tucked Jessie between him and Thomas. The Hyacinth Macaw repositioned his belt and cleared his throat.

"We're all here to discuss the punishment for Jessie Rockwell. Amos, would you please read the crimes she has on her head?"

A Blue and Gold Macaw withdrew a rolled up sheet of paper from his belt pocket and unfurled it. He squashed it against the plank floor and cleared his throat.

"Jessie Rockwell, a.k.a 'Calamity Jewel,' is charged with multiple counts of assault, multiple counts of thievery, disturbin' the peace, spreadin' terror, an' consultin' with the Native Americans openly."

When Amos's beak clacked shut, the Hyacinth spoke.

"What do you say in yer defense, outlaw?"

Jessie grew flustered and said intimidatingly, "I did all of that to find Tyler. He's my brother. But it won't make sense to any of you, and I'm not going to explain!"

Rex smiled smugly, unfazed by her anger.

"Like we'd even want you to. You'd just be wastin' our time, and yer future's already gone to hell."

"She's telling the truth! She wouldn't lie to me, not after all she's been through to find me."

The Scarlet Macaw named Evelyn retorted, "Oh, is that so? Don't go pickin' the wrong side Sheriff, or we'll strip that star off yer vest so fast, you'll be spinnin' like a Texas twister."

"Shut yer damn beak, Tyler," Rex warned. "She's in our claws now, and I've got a mind to send her to the big pasture until she's nothin' but a skeleton."

He showed his back to the trio of macaws and added, "What do yawl think?"

Amos piped, "I say we put a bullet in her brain and be done with her."

"Naw, that's too easy, Amos," Jeremy and Evelyn cawed.

"I agree with Rex. Send her to the penitentiary," the female quipped.

Another Military Macaw named Jack said, "Yep. Let's tuck her into a room made of four walls, a ceilin', and a floor, Rex."

The macaw raked his gaze across all of them, and then twirled around.

"Well, that's settled. Looks like she'll be goin' to the State Penitentiary. I'll make sure she won't be comin' out."

Those words sent both Tyler's and Jessie's moods into a frenzy, though her condition accentuated her response greatly.

"No! Please no! You can't steal me away from him! I barely even know him!" she cawed raucously.

"Then it'll be easy fer you to forget him, now won't it?" Rex replied succinctly.

"Evelyn, git yer wingcuffs and restrain her," Jeremy ordered.

The macaw in question pulled a collapsed oval of shiny metal from a large rear belt pocket and popped it open. She moved in to fasten them to the battered female, but Tyler blocked her path.

"Don't do this to her! Let her stay with me and serve her sentence a different way. She's the only family I have left, Rex! How did you feel when you saw Ray get struck down by a rattler?"

The four other birds of Rex's contingent gasped.

His face went cold as Tyler brought back the nightmarish memories of his brother's death, and he stared incredulously at the Spix's Macaw.

"I remember you sayin' you were _this_ close to killin' yerself. Don't cut her out of mah life and make me suffer like you did, Rex! We'll negotiate a different sentence for her right here and right now, and we'll make it equal to yours. I killed that snake for what he did to Ray. You owe me."

The Hyacinth Macaw's expression shifted from rage to despair to loss to understanding, and cycled through all of them again. At last, the quivering macaw narrowed his eyes to the thinnest of gaps and spoke.

"How _dare _you bring him up! He died defending me! He protected an honest soul, while yer protectin' an evil one!" he roared.

Evelyn made to approach Jessie again, but Tyler shoved her back.

"Leave her alone! We can talk this out!"

"You've crossed the line, Sheriff! Git him!"

Amos and Jeremy rushed forwards, tackling him painfully to the floor. He fought them off and stood up, his chest puffing in and out from the exertion. He took one step in Jessie's direction, and then a staccato _click_ was heard.

"Stop _right_ there, Sheriff," Rex ordered.

The dark tunnel of his Colt's barrel was aimed for Tyler's chest, the hammer cocked back menacingly.

"Make _one more_ move, and I swear I'll put a hole right through you."

Jeremy and Amos came from behind and trapped him beneath their wings in a bear hug.

"Evelyn, put the cuffs on him. I don't want no more trouble outta him today."

She complied, strutting over to him and placing the pivot point upon his back. She then bent the separate halves inwards, locking them into place over his chest. His wings were now firmly clamped to his sides, eliminating one method of attack and leaving him off balance should he decide to get physical.

The two macaws released him, but stayed planted behind him.

"Yer lucky I don't turn you from a Sheriff into a homeless male, Tyler. Now sit yer ass down and let the birds in charge take care of business."

He huffed in irritation and faced the criminal.

"I guess it's time for you to say yer goodbyes, missy. All Amos has to do is write up yer sentence, and then you'll be in the pen before the moon comes up."

"Screw you all! Everyone in here is heartless, except for my brother! He's the only one who cares about me!"

"You better watch yer beak, missy! No one talks to us like that!" Jack screeched.

"You can go to hell! All of you can _go... __to... hell..._"

Evelyn taunted, "Hah! That's where_ you'll_ be goin', girl! After you rot in yer cell like the worthless sack of feathers you are!"

Jessie's unstable psyche snapped, and she barreled for the callous female.

The Scarlet Macaw smacked her head on the floor, leaving her stunned. Jessie clawed her stomach four times, completely numb to the reignited throbbing of her half-healed wounds.

"Take this, you cruel bitch!"

The hawk yelled, "Hey, get off of her!" and dashed for Jessie.

He smashed into her right side, sending her sprawling over a foot away.

She jumped to her feet as Thomas raced to subdue her, lashing out at him a second before he hit. She scored his cheek with her foot before he knocked her down, pinning her to the floor with his weight. She pushed herself to her feet once more, but he was there to wrap his wings around her and quell her struggles.

Both birds were breathing heavily, and tears of pain were welling up in her eye as her rage wore off.

Rex cooked her with a malicious stare and cleared his throat.

"Well, Jessie, I was gonna let you suffer in a cell until you took yer last breath, but I don't think that course of action will be necessary anymore."

Rex raised his pistol in the air playfully and walked casually in her direction.

"I think the Warden will enjoy handling you how I want him to. Isn't that right, Warden?"

Rex's eyes flashed darkly, and the hawk seemed to heed the silent order.

Tyler squawked, "Don't hurt her! Please! _Please!_" but his desperate shouts were blocked out.

"You jus' reminded me of a valuable lesson I learned long ago, Jessie. Would you like to hear it?"

She didn't respond other than moaning in pain and letting a tear roll from her one healthy eye.

"I'll take that as a yes."

He un-cocked his pistol and stashed it back in its holster, then stopped advancing once he was a foot away from her.

"I believe that everyone in this world deserves to live."

Unbeknownst to Jessie, Thomas had begun reaching for something in a belt pocket.

It was not his gun.

"However, there always people who deserve..."

Thomas opened the pouch and wrapped his right foot around the handle.

"To die!"

With a flick of his foot, the hawk thrust the weapon forwards and buried it into Jessie's lower back. She gave a guttural squawk and jerked once in his grip. A half inch of the tip protruded from her belly area, a drop of blood suspended on the point of the blade.

In one fluid motion, Thomas sliced about two inches upwards, turned the weapon ninety degrees, and yanked it out.

Fresh streams of blood began to snake through her belly feathers and pool at her feet, and she looked down in horror.

"NO!" was Tyler's deafening scream.

Thomas refolded his wings, restoring her freedom of movement. She touched her wingtips to her stomach and brought them back up to her face.

They were soggy with blood, and the sight sapped her stamina.

She fell onto her left side and started trembling, her beak clacking incessantly.

"NO! JESSIE!"

Tyler tried to wrench away from the two macaws' grip, but they resisted and crushed him to the floor.

Due to the fall, some of her intestines and her stomach had been extruded from her. The pink shapes were drenched in scarlet, fully exposed on the plank floor. Jessie then pressed her wings over the wound, but the blood was hardly held back.

"How could... unh... you do this... urgh... to me? All I wanted... was to love... and be loved..."

Her eye poured forth tears as inconsolable agony and despair swallowed her being. Tyler began to whimper as well, his tears leaving a dark stain upon the dusty wood that spread by the second.

"Jessie... no no no... this can't be happening!"

"Oh, but it _is_, Sheriff. She was a criminal, and now she's becoming an example," Rex said scathingly.

Keeping her right wing on the gash, she used her left to drag herself in Tyler's direction. She had not made it six inches when Rex slammed his foot on her back, eliciting a scream of pure agony from her beak.

The pool of fluid beneath her surged outwards in response, and her body ceased to tremble.

"Get off of her!"

"What for, Sheriff? She's already half-dead. I can feel her pulse slowin' down through mah foot."

"Please... get... get off... unh..."

"Nope. But how 'bout I do this!"

He stepped off of her and administered a powerful kick to her head, then replaced his foot.

She moaned and lay still, her breathing accelerating in pace as her blood volume plummeted. She fixed her eye on her brother in a doomed stare, its surface clouding up as her spirit drained away.

"Tyler... I... I love you. I only wish... I could have... got to know... you better. Never forget me. I'll be waiting... for you... when it's your turn to die. I'll always... love... you..."

Jessie's eye turned the color of morning fog, and her frantic breathing stopped altogether.

Tyler's heart was clogged with despair and hopelessness, emotions his sister had conveyed to him before she died. He broke down internally, and his heart skipped a few beats.

"Jessie..." was the last word he uttered before his consciousness winked out like a candle in the wind.

Tyler felt like he was riding along in an ethereal boat, the churning river below bucking his vessel at random intervals.

However, the boat started to rise and dissolve, its hard inner surface morphing into one of unprecedented sponginess. When the substrate had finished changing consistencies, a sudden jarring startled him into awaking.

A lavish enclosure lit by a pair of gas lamps greeted him, occupied by himself and a hawk, who was gazing out the window opposite him.

A mental need to find Jessie overtook the dazed macaw, and he tried to get to his feet. Instead, he rolled off of the seat and plopped against the floor, alerting the hawk.

"Oh, hey Sheriff. Yer finally up."

The hawk assisted his superior in standing, and the macaw unnerved him with his bloodshot gaze.

"Where... is she? Where is... mah sister?"

"Sheriff, you were there. She's gone."

"Wh-what?"

"She's dead, Sheriff. Rex told me to kill her, and I did. She got what she deserved."

"Why are you lyin' to me? You're sick! I know she's out there! I gotta find her!"

He dashed to the window behind him and looked out, spying a shadowy landscape painted with moonlight. He saw nothing that resembled her, and so he dashed to the other rectangle of glass in a panic.

"Jessie! Please tell me where you are! Jessie! JESSIE!"

As he scanned the rolling Texas plains, something clamped down on his tail and pulled him backwards. The hawk seized Tyler with his wings and gave him a brisk shake.

"Sheriff, what's the matter with you? She ain't out there! She's dead, I tell ya! Rex and them took her away!"

In that instant, Tyler crumbled for the second time that day, the realization that she was gone too much for his mortal mind to bear. He shoved the hawk away and burst into tears, hiding his head between his wings.

"No no no... this is a nightmare! Oh Jessie... I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I tried so damn hard… but I screwed up! I failed you, Jessie. I failed you…"

Tyler's disintegrated mind then picked up a feminine whisper, and the interior of the train car became nothing but a black void. He was flooded with disbelief when he lowered his wings, seeing nothing in every direction.

That was when the voice returned, echoing like an angel's: _"Tyler, I'm alright. It's not so bad here. My new home is a pretty place."_

"Jessie? Where are you?"

A grayish swirl of fog materialized in front of him, arranging itself in the form of a female macaw.

_"Hello, brother. There's no need to get upset. Everything's going to be fine."_

The wispy Jessie reached out for him, but her wing simply dissipated as it touched him. She left his face tingling, and her wing reformed as she refolded it.

"Jessie... I miss you. How am I gonna... go on... without you?"

_"I miss you too, brother. But I have a new home now, and I can't leave it." _

Tyler let his head droop and a pair of tears fall from his eyes.

_"Tyler, listen to me."_

He lifted his head to look at her, and she drew up close to him.

_"No matter where you are, my spirit will be right there beside you. I'll never abandon you, and if you want to talk, all you have to do is close your eyes and call my name. That much I promise, from the bottom of my frozen heart." _

She swept her left wing primaries over her chest for emphasis.

"But... Jessie... that's not enough. You don't understand… how bad I want... to hold you..."

The female frowned and shook her head from side to side.

_"I do, Tyler, but we live in different worlds now. I can't go back to yours, and I'm sorry. But there's still hope for you. There's still time for you to continue enjoying the gift of life, find a wife, and raise a family. And you know what, I'll be watching you every step of the way. Know that when it's time for you to move on, I'll be here to welcome you with open wings."_

She paused and looked around, responding to a signal that Tyler could not detect.

"_It's time for me to leave, Tyler. I love you, and I always will. You know how to reach me. This is goodbye, for now."_

Jessie's unified shape turned into a thick cloud of smoke and receded into the blackness. The natural palettes of the train car replaced the void, and Tyler snapped back into reality.

"Sheriff, you there? Answer me! What's goin' on with ya?"

He faced Thomas with a ghostly expression and replied slowly, "I'm here. But my sister... isn't…"

"Sheriff, there ain't no point in worryin' about her anymore. You need to focus on yer own life now."

Those heartless words struck a chord in Tyler's soul, and his body initiated a series of primal reactions.

"You… you killed her."

"Well, duh, Sheriff! Rex wanted as much, and I think he made the right choice."

"You _killed_ her…"

"Uh, Sheriff? I'm worried that somethin' is wrong with yer-"

"You _killed_ my _sister_… and I'm gonna kill_ you!_"

He summoned up all of his rage and channeled it to his muscles, giving him ferocious strength. He lifted the hawk off the floor with his wings and ran forwards, driving Thomas into the window.

"By George, Tyler! What are ya doin'? This is madness!"

"Shut up! You're a murderer! You were never on my side! NEVER!"

The hawk squirmed to try and free himself, but Tyler's hold was unbreakable.

The macaw walked backwards a few paces and then ran forwards, pounding the hawk's head into the glass. A dull crunch was heard as the glass cracked, and the blow knocked Thomas dizzy.

"Unh… Sheriff… stop! You don't know… what yer doin'!"

"THE HELL I DON'T!"

He bashed Thomas's skull into the glass again, and the cracks multiplied. On the next hit, the window shattered, sending glass raining down upon the seat and outside as well.

The jagged edges lacerated the back of Thomas's neck as their combined weight pressed him downwards. Blood began to run down the frame and contaminate the upright portion of the seat.

Tyler flipped him over and pushed the front of his neck against the shards, the hawk's head dangling a good three inches outside the car. The moonlit ground sped by below, and the hawk would be shredded if he happened to be pushed out.

He was paralyzed from the pain, unable to move as his blood leaked from his wounds and decorated his back and chest.

Tyler jumped down and declared hotly, "I hope you slit yer damn throat."

He then marched for the door joining the passenger car with the engine car and flung it open. He walked down the short hall into the steamy boiler area, seeing the conductor shoveling coal into the fiery mouth.

As soon as the conductor put the shovel down and sealed the door shut, Tyler assumed an offensive stance.

"Hey! What in tarnation are you doin' in here? Get out!"

"This is my train now!"

He tackled the Scarlet Macaw into the boiler door, the blow to his skull knocking him out. The maddened Spix's Macaw flung his body aside and located the throttle lever, which was a floor-mounted steel rod equal to him in height.

He pushed it forwards as far as it would go, and then shot the base of it three times with his revolver. He snapped the handle off and stashed his pistol away, realizing that there was no turning back for him now.

The click-clacking of the train came faster and faster, and he knew he had to get out, and fast. He burst through the exit door on the right side and hurled himself into the night, flapping his wings stiffly.

He looked back to see the train thundering off into the night, a plume of black vapor made eerie by the moon's glow rising from the smokestack. Captivated by the sight, Tyler failed to pay attention to what was in front of him.

The next thing he knew, his right wing clipped something spiky, and he was spinning out of the sky. He hit the ground hard and was sent skidding, throwing up a trail of dirt. When his momentum ran out, he stood and turned around.

His right wing then began stinging as if it was on fire.

"Damn it! What the hell happened!"

The land was blanketed in inky blackness as a cloud crossed the face of the moon, and Tyler went momentarily blind. When the silvery orb reappeared, Tyler saw a multitude of cactus spines festooning the leading edge of his wing.

"Oh hell, that's great! I guess I'm walkin' from here on out."

The train had left his sight, but he could still faintly hear it chugging in the distance. Moments later, there was a shrill screech, and the earth seemed to vibrate underfoot. Beyond the horizon a boom sounded, and a slim tongue of orange licked the air.

"Looks like the train... just derailed and exploded…"

In that snippet of time, he realized his world had done the same. He had just killed two birds and forfeited his future, his sister was nothing but a ghost, and his life was an absolute wreck. '

He was panting from exhaustion, the graveness of his acts, and the confounding irritation in his wing. He let his flying appendages slump to the ground as he stared to the south.

A towering mesa at least a half mile away was the only significant feature in his field of view.

"Jessie… I have nothin' left now... except you. I don't know… what I'm gonna do anymore. Please… keep me company… and keep me safe. I'm gonna rest on that mesa tonight. I hope I see you… in my dreams…"

Tyler walked on through the chilled desert, dragging his out-of-commission appendage along beside him. Aside from the occasional hoot of an owl and the thudding of his overburdened heart, he heard nothing.

He made the journey to the mesa without encountering any hostile life, and thanked his sister greatly. He rested to calm himself and chase the soreness from his feet, and then he scaled the plug of rock.

There were many footholds and beakholds to aid his ascent, but he nearly plummeted to a grisly death more times than he would have liked. He sent streams of pebbles rolling down the hill every so often, their low-pitched clattering persisting for a few seconds.

He made it two-thirds up the hill, and then the slope turned vertical. Unable to continue, he traversed the mesa sideways until he found a sizable hole in the stone itself.

He crawled along the passage, following it as it twisted to the right and ended in a bubble-shaped cavity. After propping himself up against the rear wall, he faced the entrance, though he was sure that no night animals would be lucky enough to come across his hiding spot.

He let his feet stick out ahead of him, crossing them over the base of his tail for comfort. He sighed immensely and then plunked his head onto his chest.

His eyelids began to slide down, but retracted rapidly when he heard a voice echo from the tunnel ahead: _"Tyler, something's coming! It followed you. It knows where you are. Get your gun out!" _

He tossed his head up and peered into the thick blackness.

"Jessie? What is it?"

Just like in his vision on the train, a cloud of fog assembled itself into his sister, but he wasn't having one at the moment. She was visiting him in the real world this time. He stood up and hopped over to her, noting her desperate façade.

_"Wait for it at the mouth of the cave. Shoot it as soon as it comes in." _

"Alright. I'm goin'."

He gripped his Smith and Wesson in his right foot and crept along the crooked tunnel. Just before he rounded the bend, he cocked the hammer and walked even slower. He maneuvered his body so that he faced the exit head on, his stomach scraping the floor of the passage.

Jessie floated outside and looked down, and then rushed back in.

_"Get ready. Here it comes!" _

"Tell me what it is already!" he squawked.

_"It's a rattlesnake, brother. Now shush for a minute."_

He clamped his beak shut and aimed for the round opening, hearing a shuffling noise emanating from beyond the hole. Moments later, a pair of neon yellow, diamond-shaped slits rose out of the darkness.

There was a soft hiss, and the slits moved closer.

_"Shoot!"_

Tyler curled his claw in three times in succession, emptying his revolver's bullets into the snake's head. The lights dropped to the floor and went dark, and then more shuffling was heard as the snake succumbed to gravity.

Tyler waited until his ears stopped ringing, and then replaced his gun in its holster. He slapped his head a few times and then rubbed his wings down his face.

"Ugh… am I safe _now_, sister? Can I _please_ get some sleep?" he said in exasperation.

She checked the area outside the tunnel, and then drifted back in.

_"Yes. You're all alone. Well, except for me."_

"That's some damn good news..."

With that, Tyler retreated back to the bubble and assumed his reclined pose. Jessie perched beside him and gave him a ghostly hug, making his skin crawl pleasantly.

_"Good night, brother. Everything's going to be fine. I'll help you cope with your new life, one day at a time."_

He smiled weakly, his eyes fluttering half-closed.

"Yeah. You're all I ever really needed, Jessie. Good night."

She planted a phantom kiss on his left cheek and brushed her wing across his face, closing his eyes the rest of the way.

_"I love you, Tyler. Sleep well. I'll be right here when you wake up. I may not be with you in the flesh, but I'll be with you in spirit. Forever."_

* * *

**A/N: Fluttershy says, "Yay! You made it!" Fluttershy hugs you.**

**Don't forget!**

**I**

**I**

**I**

**V**


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